Health Wealth

Ah how perfect, once again reading over the weekend topics has given me a chance to gab about something! And what a something— someone has actually ASKED to hear about healthy habits and weight loss goals. These are things I tend to keep to myself as folks can get annoyed if you start going off about your habits and goals.

I've lost 60 pounds in the last few years, the bulk of it being in the last year.

I'm going slowly, but I hope to lose at least 20 more pounds by the end of summer... and then we will see. I'd be the thinnest I've ever been then, and even thin by universal standards. That's not my biggest motivation though, feeling strong is.



I have two young children who need chased through the grass, I have health issues to fight, and I just simply want to be able to dance and swim and enjoy life without it making me physically exhausted. And so, I've made some major changes to the way I eat and conduct myself.

I make basically everything from scratch now, avoiding mystery ingredients and highly processed foods in the process. I eat a lot LOT LOT of beans and chickpeas. Above is some musabaha or HUMMUS as it's known in the western world. I make this very often and use it as the sauce on sandwiches, which of course are eaten on homemade bread.

If I were to say what the biggest change I've made is, it's this. My meals are simple and made of mostly whole foods. And a lot of them are salads.

I make my own dressings and try to mix it up so I don't get bored.

Today I made black beans, which were dried not canned (I believe this really matters). I put them over some greens and veggies with a honey-chipotle vinaigrette that I'm fond of making.

Salads don't have to be boring or just the typical cucumbers, tomatoes, blah blah...

I do make those too. Here is one with the basics and avocado. For this guy I used lemon juice and pepper as dressing. Simple but so very tasty.

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Lemon juice is my best friend in the kitchen. I buy a bag of lemons every several days and use them for all sorts of stuff.


Here I've made my favorite "dressing", which is just lemon juice, mint, sumac, and some pomegranate molasses. The last ingredient is one of the few processed things I use; it was made in the middle east and meets my ingredient criteria.

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Chiefly that means it does not have anything in it that I cannot identify without a google search, and it has no high fructose corn syrup in it.

I no longer eat highly processed sugars of any kind, and I believe that has made a huge difference. Isn't sugar itself already processed enough? I also avoid "natural flavors", dyes, oils (except olive), and enriched wheat.

For me at least, carbs aren't a problem for weight loss when they are more natural. I do eat pasta and all sorts of bread, I just make sure it is the right kind. Above is some flat bread I made, 3 ingredients and fresh as can be. It tastes better and doesn't hit my beltline.




Aside from eating more raw foods in general, I also prioritize "super" foods. Fermented stuff, high protein, things with antioxidants in them. I can't really say if that is part of my weight loss, but it can't hurt.

This bowl is chickpeas, veg, and a bunch of fermented cabbage over rice. It's weird, but it works somehow.

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I think being adventurous with your meals is a vast help when trying to eat better. Outside of blue cheese and animal organs there is not much I will not eat. This has led me to try a lot of different flavor combinations and have fun with my meals instead of feeling trapped in a diet.

Technically we all are on a diet, weight loss goals or not. Keeping these sorts of perspectives helps me not feel like I'm in a corner, which would surely send me back off the deep end with the quickness. I don't do structure well.

^{Some veggies left to ferment.}
In addition to my dietary choices, I do make it a priority to stay fairly active... or life has done that for me through motherhood and responsibility, your pick.

I make myself do the things when I feel lazy. I bike to work. I make it a point to work out a few times a week... and I never tell my kids I'm too tired to go to the park or play outside. It all adds up.

And at the end of the day, I remember that my husband loves my body and so do I. I want to be healthy and strong for him, for my kids, for me. Self-love is important too, lest I get swept away and become a health nut that won't shut up about seed oils.

^{All photos are my own.}